Supporting frame structure for pushbutton station assemblies



SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE FOR PUSHBUTTON STATION ASSEMBLIES Filed May 10, 1968 March 17, 1970 D. F. WILLCOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JiZZ/EitOf.

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Markh 17, 1970 D. F. WILLCOX SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE FOR PUSHBUTTON STATION ASSEMBLIES Filed May 10, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 III IOEkIE! ll llll I I ILPICEIIIII United States Patent 3,501,610 SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE FOR PUSHBUTTON STATION ASSEMBLIES Dale F. Willcox, Aurora, Ill., assignor to Furnas Electric Company, Batavia, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 10, 1968, Ser. No. 728,288 Int. Cl. H01h 3/12 US. Cl. 200-172 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The pushbuttonvstations can be assembled from specially designed stock components and a number of different assemblies can be made to fulfill different requirements. Accordingly the cover plate and bracket combination may accommodate a pilot light lens or a spring backed pushbutton, and the supporting frame structure of the cover plate and bracket combination may support a pilot light or an electric switch of the single or duplex contact type.

The invention relates to pushbutton stations employing either a flush mounted face plate or a general purpose enclosure plate and has reference in particular to a unitary cover plate and bracket combination having a supporting frame releasably secured thereto for supporting a pilot light, or a switch device of either the single or multiple contact type.

The pushbutton stations as contemplated by the invention are designed to give modular flexibility so that from a number of specially designed stock components a variety of different assemblies can be made, each of which will fulfill specific requirements.

The unitary cover plate and bracket combination with supporting frame is disclosed and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 728,297, filed May 10, 1968 and entitled Pushbutton Station Assembly. However, the supporting frame has additional utility over that disclosed in said application which was confined to a pilot light. Thus a basic objective of the present invention resides in the provision of a cover plate and bracket combination with supporting frame and wherein said frame in addition to the pilot light, may have properly positioned thereon and releasably secured thereto a switch device of either the single contact type or the multiple contact type. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover plate and bracket combination for receiving one or more pushbuttons and wherein the said supporting frame, when supporting switch devices, will so position the same as to align the movable plunger of a supported switch device. with a pushbutton so that actuation of the pushbutton will in turn actuate the switch device.

A further object of the invention is to provide a supporting frame for the purposes described and which will have certain notches formed in the base portion of the frame for receiving a positioning lug on the contact block of the switch device.

In order to extend the modular flexibility of the present pushbutton stations the multiple contact type of switch may have all or a number of its stationary contacts designed for either a normally open or a normally closed relation.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts 'ice- FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a pushbutton station assembly embodying the improved features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the combination cover plate, bracket and supporting frame structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the pushbutton station assembly of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 1 showing details of the pushbutton station assembly on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevational view similar to FIG- URE 1 but showing a two-button station assembly;

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational view of the combination cover plate, bracket and supporting frame structure of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the two-button station assembly of FIGURES 5 and 6;

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view of the two-button station;

FIGURE 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along line 9-9 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 10 is a rear elevational view of the twobutton station of FIGURES 5 and 6 with the stationary frame removed;

FIGURE 11 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 11-11 of FIGURE 10 on a somewhat enlarged scale; and

FIGURE 12 is a perspective view of the special supporting frame.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 the invention is illustrated in connection with cover plate structure having a single pushbutton and an electric switch of the single contact type, said switch being supported by the special supporting frame. The metal cover plate 10 which may consist of a face plate as shown, or a general purpose enclosure plate, has a bracket 11 of special formation riveted thereto at 12, FIGURE 4. The cover plate has bevelled edges 13 and the same is provided with the opening 14 which has an inwardly directed annular flange 15. The metal bracket 11 is generally rectangular, having a flanged supporting leg 16 and an opening 17, FIGURE 9, which opening is circular except for the inwardly extending, diametrically opposed lugs 18, best shown in FIGURE 10. The opening 17 is approximately the same in diameter as opening 14 and the two openings are in substantial alignment. The numeral 20 indicates downturned side flanges which extend along respective sides of the bracket.

The cover plate and bracket combination is adapted to accommodate a tubular or annular member and which as shown in the present drawings may comprise a push button such as 22. The pushbutton is generally tubular information and the same may be formed of any suitable material such as a moldable plastic of the color desired. The maximum diameter of the push button is slightly less than that of the opening 14 in the cover plate since the pushbutton must have a free loose fit such as will permit the pushbutton to be depressed and to return it to initial position. The tubular button has a front wall 23 which is integral with the cylindrical skirt 24 and with the rear diametrical rib 25. The wall 23 is apertured at 26 as best shown in FIGURE 10, to provide a pair of rectangular slots, and the skirt 24 is provided with an annular flange 27. The skirt is slotted at 28 at locations diametrically opposed to the rib 25 and which slots are wide enough for receiving the lugs 18 when the pushbutton is in place. It will be observed that the coil spring 30 is confined within the skirt 24 between the front wall 23 and the lugs 18, FIGURE 4, and the force exerted by the coil spring maintains the-pushbutton in extended position with the flange 27 in contact with the annular flange 15 and which thus acts as a stop limiting outward movement of the pushbutton.

It is, of course, necessary to assemble the pushbutton 22 with the cover plate before the bracket 11 is riveted to the cover plate. Also, in order to accommodate the coil spring 30, the rib is not integral with the skirt 24. Thus a slot is provided on each side of the diametrically extending rib 24 which accommodates the coil spring and thus the coil spring is able to engage the inside surface of the skirt 24 from the front wall 23 to the lugs 18.

The pushbutton 22 is adapted to receive a snap-in insert such as 32 which is also preferably formed of a plastic of any color desired. The inserts are adapted to display legends for the information of the operator and each insert is formed with one or two pairs of fingers 33. The fingers have a press fit in the rectangular openings 26 and thus the inserts may be snapped into place, although they can be easily removed in the event an insert having a different legend is to be substituted therefor. Details as to the structure of the pushbuttons and the inserts is described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 728,297, previously referred to, and reference is made to that application for a more detailed disclosure of these elements.

The rib 25 of a pushbutton is adapted to actuate the plunger of an electric switch and which may be a single contact type of switch or a multiple contact type. In either case the switch device is supported by the special supporting frame which is shown in FIGURE 12, being identified in its entirety by numeral 34. The frame essentially consists of a base 35, a standard 36 and extension arms 37 and 38. When a pilot light is fixed to the base of the supporting frame, the same is secured by a threaded securing screw which is threadedly received in the bottom opening 40 formed in the base 35. For positioning the said pilot light the edge of the base 35 is notched at 41 and this notch receives a lug on the base of the pilot light which is positioned thereby, being located adjacent the lower edge of the notch. When an electric switch of the single contact type is supported by the base 35 of the frame, the securing screw for the said switch is received in the opening 42. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 the lug for positioning such an electric switch is received by the notch 41, being located adjacent the upper edge of the notch. When a switch device of the multiple contact type is supported by the base 35 of the supporting frame the securing screw for such a switch is received by the top threaded opening 43 and the lugs provided by the base of the switch are positioned by the top and bottom notches 44. See FIGURE 6.

The extension arms 37 and 38 of the special supporting frame are apertured at 45 to provide an elongated opening and the adjacent opening 46 is threaded. The threaded screws 47 are received by the openings 45 and these are inserted in place before the cover plate and bracket combination is secured to the extension arms by the screws 48 which pass through the openings in the rivets 12 and are received in the threaded openings 46-. The long screws 47 have utility in securing the entire combination of frame, bracket and cover plate to an outlet box or other supporting device.

The single contact electric switch shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, essentially consists of a contact block or housing 50 of any suitable insulating material and which mounts three terminal connections such as 51, although only one is shown in the drawings. One of the three terminals provides a common connection and the other two terminals provide normally open and normally closed contacts, respectively. The movable bridging contact which is housed by the contact block 50 is actuated by the spring backed plunger 52. The plunger in extended position projects some distance beyond the top surface of the contact block. As previously stated the contact block for the switgh device is secured to and positioned by the adjacent the top edge of the notch. The securing screw 54 for this contact block will occupy the threaded opening 42 and thus an electric switch of the single contact type is properly positioned by the base of the supporting frame. However, the electric switch device can be readily released and removed in the event a different tym of electric switch is to be employed in the pushbutton station assembly.

With the switch device 50 in supported relation on the base of the supporting frame 34, it will be observed that the plunger 52 is in alignment with the diametrical rib 25 of the pushbutton 22. Thus when the pushbutton is depressed, the rib will transmit the movement of the same to the plunger 52 and the switch will be actuated. When the pushbutton is released the coil spring 30 will return the pushbutton to its initial position. Since the plunger is also backed by a coil spring, the plunger is returned to its extended position and the switch is ready for another actuation.

FIGURES 5 to 11, inclusive, show the invention as applied to a multiple contact switch device and wherein a pair of pushbuttons are retained by the cover plate and bracket combination. The cover plate 10 as shown in FIGURES 5 and 11 has two openings such as 14 formed in the same, and the riveted bracket 11 also has two openings 17 which align with the opening 14. The cover plate and bracket combination mounts a pair of push buttons in the said openings and which are identical to the push button and snap-in insert as shown and described with respect to FIGURE 4. A supporting frame 34 is also attached by screws 48 to the cover plate and bracket combination shown in FIGURE 11 and the base 35 of the supporting frame has secured thereto an electric switch of the multiple contact type. More particularly the electric switch 55 as best shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 provides two pairs of terminal connections indicated by the numerals 56 and 57, respectively, and which have associated there-with the spring backed actuating plungers 58 and 60. The contact block 61 of the electric switch 55 provides the housing for the movable bridging contacts, one of which is carried by the plunger 58 for association with the terminal connections 56, whereas the other bridging contact carried by the plunger 60 has association with the terminal connections 57. The terminal connections may be arranged for either a normally open or a normally closed contact relation.

FIGURE 8 shows the securing screw 62 which secures the contact block 61 in place on the base 35 of the supporting frame. For this multiple contact type of electric switch, the screw 62 is threadedly received in the opening 43 and the top and bottom notches 44 receive the lugs 63 which project integrally from the base of the contact block 61. The electric switch device is thus releasably secured to the supporting frame and the same is properly positioned so that the plungers 58 and 60 are in alignment with the diametrical rib 25 of the push button 22, all as clearly illustated in FIGURE 11.

When the top pushbutton is depressed the plunger 58 is actuated and an electric circuit is either closed or opened through the terminal connections 56 depending on whether the terminals are related with respect to the movable bridging contact for an open circuit relation or for a closed circuit relation. In a similar manner the lower pushbutton will actuate the plunger 60 when the pushbutton is depressed and the terminals 57 can be arranged for either an open or a closed circuit relation as regards the plunger 60.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as various other forms of the device will, of course, be. apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cover plate and bracket combination, a cover plate having at least one opening formed therein and which provides a rearwardly directed annular flange, a bracket in fixed relation on the rear side of the cover plate, said bracket including a base portion in spaced relation wih respect to the cover plate and having an opening therein of approximately the same diameter as the opening in the cover plate and in substantial alignment therewith, a supporting frame fixed to the cover plate and bracket combination, said supporting frame including a base member in spaced relation rearwardly of and substantially aligned with the said bracket, a contact block in supported relation on said base member, and means positioning and releasably securing the contact block in supported relation on the said base member.

2. A cover plate and bracket combination as defined by claim 1, wherein said contact block has at least one lug projecting from the bottom surface thereof, and wherein the base member of the supporting frame has a notch along one edge for receiving the lug, whereby to position the contact block when the same is in supported relation on the base member.

3. A cover plate and bracket combination as defined by claim 2, wherein the means for releasably securing the contact block in supported relation on the base member comprises a securing screw having threaded securement to the base member.

4. A cover plate and bracket combination as defined by claim 1, wherein the means positioning and releasably securing the contact block in supported relation on the said base member includes a securing screw, said base member having a plurality of threaded openings therein, and the said securing screw having location in one of said threaded openings.

5. A cover plate and bracket combination as defined by claim 1, wherein the means positionig the contact block includes at least one lug provided by the contact block and which is received in a notch on one side of the base member, and wherein the means releasably securing the contact block comprises a securing screw having threaded relation in one of a plurality of threaded openings in the base member.

6. In a cover plate and bracket combination, a cover plate having at least one opening therein, a bracket in fixed relation on the rear side of the cover plate, said bracket having an opening therein 'of approximately the same diameter and in alignment with the opening in the cover plate, an annular member located in the said aligned openings and supported for movement to and from an extended and depressed position, a supporting frame secured to the cover plate and bracket combination, a base member provided by the frame in rearwardly spaced relation with the bracket, a contact block in supported relation on the base member, said contact block providing electric switch means and having an actuating plunger, and a diametrically disposed rib comprising part of the annular member and which is aligned with the said plunger, whereby when the annular member is depressed the electric switch means is actuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,710,999 4/ 1929 Schmid.

1,736,849 11/1929 Douglas.

2,415,297 2/1947 Linton 200159 2,975,258 3/ 1961 Higginbottom.

3,257,520 6/1966 Forbes.

HERMAN O. JONES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 200167 

